Sustainable Forestry Initiative
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative, SFI Inc., is a non-profit organization with more than 195 million acres SFI Marks 2,000 Chain-of-Custody Certified Locations certified to its 'forest certification standard' in the United States and Canada. The Sustainable Forestry Initiative is the world’s largest single forest certification standard. SFI Inc. Launches New Standard, Leads Forest Certification Forward According to the United Nations, is the fastest growing organization for chain of custody certifications.Forest Products- Annual Market Review Forest certification standards The SFI standard covers key values such as protection of biodiversity, species at risk and wildlife habitat; sustainable harvest levels; protection of water quality; and prompt regeneration. However, these standards have in at least one instance been set aside for the certification of lands held by a company with representatives on SFI's board of directors.High Tension over Big Timber A new SFI 2010-2014 Standard, developed through an open review process, took effect on Jan. 1, 2010.SFI INC. LAUNCHES NEW STANDARD All SFI certifications require independent, third-party auditsIndependent Certification Bodies and are performed by internationally accredited certification bodies.SFI Accreditation SFI program The Board of Directors that governs the SFI program has three chambers that recognize economic, environmental and social sectors equally.SFI Governance Directors include the CEOs of major companies in the forest, paper, and wood products industry, including Weyerhaeuser, International Paper, and Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation. SFI Board of Directors Conservation group support The SFI Program is supported by conservation groups such as Conservation International, American Bird Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited, and the Conservation Fund, and is internationally recognized and accepted by governments, organizations, and companies around the world.SFI Recognition Those that recognize SFI-labeled products include the U.S. General Services Administration,Solicitation For Offers the Competition Bureau of Canada,Competition Bureau of Canada Public Works and Government Services Canada,Public Works and Government Services Canada Environment Canada's EcoLogo,Environment Canada's EcoLogo and the United Kingdom's Central Point of Expertise on Timber.United Kingdom's Central Point of Expertise on Timber In a 2008 statement, the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers included SFI among certification programs that “demonstrate, and promote the sustainability of forest management practices in Canada."Canadian Council of Forest Ministers, 2008 statement Three key criteria In its 2009 Seven Sins of Greenwashing report, TerraChoice Environmental Marketing says SFI is a credible eco-label because the SFI program meets three key criteria: Sins of Greenwashing *third-party certified, *publicly available standard, *transparent standard development process. Green building Many green building tools, including the National Home Building Standard in the United StatesNAHB and Green Globes, Green Globes recognize wood products certified by credible certification programs, as well as by SFI. The SFI program only certifies lands in the United States and Canada, and program participants must comply with all applicable laws. For sources outside of North America without effective laws, participants must avoid illegal or other controversial sources.SFI Requirements 2010-2014 Section 7 The SFI program supports activities by international experts to find ways to address the problem of illegal loggingPrevent Illegal Logging Critiques Marketing practices On September 9, 2009 the Washington State Forest Law Center, on behalf of the environmental protection group ForestEthics, filed complaints against SFI Inc. with the Federal Trade CommissionComplaints filed against SFI and the Internal Revenue Service.Complaints filed against SFI The FTC compliant accuses SFI Inc. of misleading consumers with deceptive marketing practices. The complaint cites various aspects of SFI’s marketing, including its claim that it is an “independent” not-for-profit organization, its dependence on the timber industry for funding, and the vagueness of SFI’s environmental standards, which allow SFI-certified landowners to be certified merely because the landowner is complying with state environmental regulations. The complaint cites SFI’s certification as an example of greenwash. Conflict of interest The complaint filed with the IRS requests an examination of SFI Inc.’s non-profit status, based on the fact that SFI benefits the private interests of its corporate landowners and not the public interest, as well as the fact that SFI draws more than 80% of its funding from the wood and paper industry THE FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL AND THE SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY INITIATIVE: POINTS OF COMPARISON . The complaint asserts that in serving the private interests of wood and paper companies that want a ‘green’ image, SFI is inappropriately granted a nonprofit status reserved for public charities Washington State Forest Law Center complaint against SFI filed with IRS. The Sierra Club The Sierra Club has lodged a formal complaint with the SFI itself Sierra Club complaint filed with SFI, alleging that the timber company Weyerhaeuser engaged in risky and irresponsible logging on steep slopes that led to 1,259 landslides in 2007 on SFI-certified Weyerhaeuser landsin Washington state High Tension Over Big Timber http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_ofr2008-5_dec2007_landslides.pdfLandslide Reconnaissance Following the Storm Event of December 1-3, 2007, in Western Washington. Challenging SFI to back up its claims of ‘independence’ and ‘rigorous audits’, the Sierra Club requests in its complaints that Weyerhaeuser’s SFI certification be revoked. Sources * The Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Inc. the World's Largest Single Forest Certification Standard. See also * Certified wood * Sustainable forest management External links * Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Inc. * Sustainable Forestry Initiative entry at ecolabelling.org * TerraChoice 2009 Report on Greenwashing * Central Point of Expertise on Timber 2008 Forest Certification Assessment * Conservation Fund President and CEO Larry Selzer, on forest certification Category:Forestry organizations Category:International environmental organizations Category:Forestry and the environment Category:Pulp and paper industry Category:Environmental issues with forests Category:Sustainable building Category:Certification marks